User blog:J. Severe/2014 in Review: Video Games
Remember how a couple of years ago I did a blog looking back at 2012's film releases? Well, I'm doing that again this year, except instead of movies, video games, and instead of 2012's, 2014's! So sit back, relax, and let's review the games we played this year before we say hello to 2015. Bravely Default Studio: Silicon Studio / Square Enix Publisher: Nintendo Platform(s): Nintendo 3DS Release Date: February 7 Metacritic: 85 Just as Nintendo started out 2013 with the release of JRPG Fire Emblem: Awakening, they did the same with the highly-anticipated Bravely Default. Originally released in Japan in 2013 by Square Enix, the company opted not to release it outside of the country despite the mass demand for it overseas. Seeing the potential money to be made, Nintendo came to our rescue and distributed it in the West for all to enjoy. Centered around a group of four heroes comprising of Agnes Oblige, Ringabel, Edea Lee, and Tiz Arrior, the game harkens back to the early days of role-playing games with its fantastical story and turn-based gameplay. A sequel, Bravely Second, is currently in development. Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII Studio: Square Enix Publisher: Square Enix Platform(s): PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 Release Date: February 11 Metacritic: 67.5 The final game in the Final Fantasy XIII subseries, this title focuses on the final adventure of the heroine Lightning, who must journey to save the world thirteen days before its destruction. The XIII trilogy has received a mixed reception from both critics and gaming fans, and has apparently tarnished the overall franchise’s reputation for many in the community—or at least, of those who browse gaming forums. Nevertheless, that wasn’t enough to stop director and writer Motomu Toriyama from giving the saga of his beloved character a proper close, no matter how many people didn’t care about her story at all in the first place. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze Studio: Retro Studios Publisher: Nintendo Platform(s): Wii U Release Date: February 21 Metacritic: 83 Nintendo’s acclaimed American-based first-party developer delivered another wonderful in the Donkey Kong Country series with this direct sequel to their 2010 Wii title. The title’s reveal at E3 2013 drew criticism from those who wanted Retro to return to the Metroid franchise or do a new IP, but those naysayers’ opinions were swayed when they took a look at the game’s lush visuals and David Wise’s jazzy soundtrack. Those traits, combined with the game’s tight platforming and the fact that you can play as Cranky Kong, made it one of the Wii U’s shining releases of the year and a crucial release for the system in the first half of the year. Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy Studio: Level-5 Publisher: Nintendo Platform(s): Nintendo 3DS Release Date: February 28 Metacritic: 81 The last Professor Layton game with the good professor himself as the lead, Level-5’s puzzle game was actually released in 2013 in Japan and Europe, but as America is the only country that matters, it is included in this list. Drawing the series’ prequel trilogy to a close, the game delivered the brain-twisting minigames and mysterious minigames that have kept bringing fans of the franchise while also giving a proper send-off to the beloved characters that we have all come to love. But it wouldn’t be the last time we see Layton and Luke overseas, as they would team up with a certain attorney in just a few months. South Park: The Stick of Truth Studio: Obsidian Entertainment / South Park Digital Studios Publisher: Ubisoft Platform(s): PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC Release Date: March 4 Metacritic: 83 With a harsh development period, Stick of Truth was originally poised for a release in 2013, but the closing of publisher THQ and several delays until it found its new distributor in the form of Ubisoft, the game didn’t hit shelves until a year after its old March release. The wait was worth it, as the title took the colorful and foul-mouthed world of the classic show and fitted it into a video game mold in a big way. While previous games based off of the show were made in 3D, this adopted a 2D art style resembling the show to put the player character right in the middle of the iconic setting to look like they were literally interacting with an actual episode of the show. As typical of the series, the game also garnered international controversy and was censored in several countries, notably because of the use of Nazi imagery and the fact that the player performs anal probing and an abortion in-game. Fortunately, these sections are intact in the North American version of the game because, to make a reference to series creators Parker and Stone’s feature film, “America, f*ck yeah.” Titanfall Studio: Respawn Entertainment Publisher: Electronic Arts Platform(s): Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC Release Date: March 11 Metacritic: 85 From the developers formerly behind the Call of Duty series came Titanfall, a first-person shooter from Electronic Arts exclusive to Microsoft systems and PC. An online multiplayer only-title, players control pilots decked out in mechas called “titans” and blow sh*t up in typical FPS style. Immensely hyped up before its release, the game received positive reviews and was forgotten of shortly thereafter. Yoshi’s New Island Studio: Arzest Publisher: Nintendo Platform(s): Nintendo 3DS Release Date: March 14 Metacritic: 64 The latest release in the Yoshi series, players control Yoshi as he makes his way through levels to safely deliver the Baby Mario that rides upon his back. Just like every other Yoshi game that’s been released. Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster Studio: Square Enix Publisher: Square Enix Platform(s): PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita Release Date: March 18 Metacritic: 85.5 Announced in 2011 for the tenth anniversary of Final Fantasy X, the game received no further updates much to the fans’ collective chagrin until it was announced years later to be a dual-remastering featuring both the acclaimed game and its sequel for PS3 and Vita. The first game centers on the teenager Tidus and its adventures in the world of Spira, while the second focuses on his friend Yuna, set two years after the prior game’s events. Both titles feature turn-based gameplay, with the former incorporating the series’ classic job system and the latter featuring a Creature Creator system that works pretty much like Pokemon. Both titles are based off of their enhanced, previously Japan-exclusive International versions with bonus content, including X-2’s “Last Mission” extra dungeon played in the style of a roguelike game. The PS3 and Vita versions share cross-saving and trophy support. Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes Studio: Kojima Productions Publisher: Konami Platform(s): PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360 Release Date: March 18 Metacritic: 74.25 The fifth main game in the acclaimed tactical espionage series is being released in two parts, Ground Zeroes having hit shelves this year and The Phantom Pain being released in 2015. Phantom Pain will more or less be the main portion of this entry, as Ground Zeroes is pretty much a demo or prologue with a few hours of gameplay. Despite this, the game was released as a full-priced title, which series faithfuls happily ate up, and the more money-conscious waited until it steadily decreased in price. Either method they underwent though, players were met with a promising look at the future of the series with detailed graphics, an engaging open world, and more Big Boss Snake. “Kept you waiting, huh?” Infamous: Second Son Studio: Sucker Punch Productions Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment Platform(s): PlayStation 4 Release Date: March 21 Metacritic: 80 The third entry in the Infamous series, the player controls the superpowered Delsin Rowe, a change from previous installments’ protagonist Cole McGrath, who can wield fire to attack enemies and propel himself into the air. The game was a favorable title for the PS4’s early life, showing off its graphical capabilities and the beauty of particle effects. A standalone DLC game, Infamous: First Light, focusing on the heroine Abigail Walker who can absorb and utilize neon electricity, was released in August. Kirby Triple Deluxe Studio: HAL Laboratory Publisher: Nintendo Platform(s): Nintendo 3DS Release Date: May 2 Metacritic: 80 The Kirby series returned to its handheld platforming roots in Triple Deluxe. Previous entries in the series such as Kirby Canvas Curse made use of the DS’ touch system, but for the pink puff-ball’s first 3D outing, developers went back to the franchise’s standard with new eye-popping stereoscopic effects. The game also included two minigames, a Smash Bros.-esque fighter aptly titled Kirby Fighters, and a rhythm game focused on Kirby’s archenemy known as DeDeDe’s Drum Dash. Expanded versions of these minigames were also released on the Nintendo eShop later in the year. Mario Golf World Tour Studio: Camelot Software Planning Publisher: Nintendo Platform(s): Nintendo 3DS Release Date: May 2 Metacritic: 78 Also released the same day as Kirby was the Mario Golf subseries’ debut on the 3DS. As the title suggests, you play golf as Mario and friends and there are still no RPG elements like in past games. :( Watch Dogs Studio: Ubisoft Montreal Publisher: Ubisoft Platform(s): PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC Release Date: May 27 Metacritic: 77.4 Announced at E3 2012 in the tail end of Ubisoft’s conference, Watch Dogs was hotly anticipated, with its advanced graphics dazzling viewers. The game later fell out of the public’s hearts when it was rerevealed closer to release having obviously downgraded from its initial reveal. Nevertheless, it was a commercial success, selling over four million copies in its first week, and gained positive reviews in addition to criticism for its several technical issues. The game is set in a fictionalized version of Chicago, with the player donning the role of a hacker with the large, open city and everything in it as their playground. Mario Kart 8 Studio: Nintendo Publisher: Nintendo Platform(s): Wii U Release Date: May 30 Metacritic: 88 RNW's most hyped game ever, Mario Kart 8 got hype when it was first revealed and rode that train all the way to release effortlessly. There’s no need to explain much about it as almost everyone and their mother knows about how fun the game is and how gorgeous its art style and graphics are, giving it the title of one of the most beautiful and overall best titles the Wii U has to offer as well as the pinnacle of the racing series that has captured hearts for years. Tomodachi Life Studio: Nintendo SPD Publisher: Nintendo Platform(s): Nintendo 3DS Release Date: June 6 Metacritic: 71 The first entry in the Tomodachi series to be released outside of Japan, Life is perhaps the quirkiest game on the system. The game takes place on an island inhabited by Miis the player inputs into the game, and from there you just watch insanity unfold as your characters try on clothes, eat food, engage in leisurely activities, and form relationships with other Miis. Those relationships can include rivalries, friendships, and even falling in love. And yes, those who fall in love and get married can have children. If you think that's the weirdest part, then you haven't seen Shinji Ikari perform a rock song with the cast of Frozen and Nintendo President Satoru Iwata with actual voices too. The Last of Us Remastered Studio: Naughty Dog Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment Platform(s): PlayStation 4 Release Date: July 29 Metacritic: 95 Released in 2013 for PlayStation 3, acclaimed director Naughty Dog’s title received incredible praise, having pushed the graphics of the system to its limit and delivered a very heartfelt story which apparently made many manly gamers shed tears. It sold excellently, snatched up tons of Game of the Year awards, and will ultimately go down as one of the best games of the 360-Wii-PS3 generation. Of course, being released close to the PS4’s launch, it was a no-brained for Sony Computer Entertainment to give it an enhanced release on their next-gen system to get more sales and win over players that had already ditched their PS3 for shinier hardware at its release. Notably, the reissue allowed players to go through the title in an improved 1080p resolution and at a fluid 60 frames per second. Ultra Street Fighter IV Studio: Capcom Publisher: Capcom Platform(s): PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC Release Date: August 5 Metacritic: 83 The final version of the arcade fighter Street Fighter IV, this version made even more improvements to the fighting system of the popular fourth installment in the classic franchise, in addition to giving hardcore players more characters to take control of. Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Studio: Level-5 Publisher: Nintendo Platform(s): Nintendo 3DS Release Date: August 29 Metacritic: 79 Originally announced not long after the 3DS’ unveiling in 2010, this title was a long time coming. Introduced with an intense OVA trailer pitting popular DS icons Professor Layton and Phoenix Wright against each other in a witch trial, fans of both series who saw the crossover as unexpected but an obvious collaboration in hindsight were hungry for more, but waited years until the title finally saw release in Japan in late 2012. It took even longer for the game to be released overseas, not hitting the West until 2014, but it was accepted all too well by its patient fanbase. The game combines both series’ gameplay styles – Layton’s puzzles and Ace Attorney’s court cases – to produce a one-of-a-kind game both franchise’s won’t be forgetting anytime soon. Destiny Studio: Bungie Publisher: Activision Platform(s): PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360 Release Date: September 9 Metacritic: 75.5 From the makers of Halo came Destiny, a third-person shooter that, with all of the PS4/3's exclusive content, was more or less Sony’s Titanfall aside from the fact that it was rated T, a rarity for shooters released these days. The title incorporates both RPG and MMO elements under its shooter mold, and allows the player to create their own character in the races of Humans, Awoken, and Exo and classes of Titan, Warlock, and Hunter before going off to shoot-shoot-bang-bang in a large mythic, science-fiction world. It Is now mostly remembered as being the game included in Taco Bell’s limited edition PS4 bundle gameplay held from September to October, which this writer entered over a dozen times and won jack sh*t from. Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call Studio: Square Enix Publisher: Square Enix Platform(s): Nintendo 3DS Release Date: September 16 Metacritic: 83 Much like how Dissidia 012 Duodecim Final Fantasy was an expanded version of Dissidia Final Fantasy for PSP and closed off that subseries, Curtain Call is the same for 2012’s Theatrhythm Final Fantasy, featuring all of the songs present in that game and adding many more in both the main game and through downloadable content. Much like the name suggests, the title is in the rhythm genre, with the player controlling adorable chibi versions of iconic Final Fantasy characters and hitting the right notes in hundreds of songs from the many main games and spin-offs in the popular RPG series. This subseries was such a success in Japan that it’s been expanded to other Square Enix series; Theatrhythm Dragon Quest is due for release in Nippon next year. Disney Infinity 2.0 Studio: Avalanche Studios Publisher: Disney Interactive Studios Platform(s): PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Wii U Release Date: September 23 Metacritic: 72.3 Last year, Disney released Disney Infinity, the last ditch effort for their last remaining in-house game developer Avalanche Studios; had the title not sold well, the Mouse House would have shifted their attention directly to making mobile titles and abandoned the console space before, opting only to license their IPs to other publishers. Fortunately, Infinity was a smashing success, mainly due to adopting the Skylanders’ series formula of having purchasable figures players can use to interact with their game. Also taking a page from Activision’s book, Infinity seems to be becoming an annual series, with 2014 bringing the 2.0 edition, which, most notably, undergoes super synergy and adds Marvel characters to the series’ roster of beloved Disney and Pixar characters. The toted Toy Box mode, which allows player to make whatever levels they can imagine with an arsenal of items, was also improved, so much so that Disney was confident enough to deliver two versions of the game; the Marvel Super Heroes ver. with a Marvel level and figures, and a cheaper Toy Box starter pack with Disney and Pixar figures. Hyrule Warriors Studio: Omega Force / Team Ninja Publisher: Nintendo Platform(s): Wii U Release Date: September 26 Metacritic: 75 If you had told me a couple of years ago that a Legend of Zelda and Dynasty Warriors crossover was a thing that would existed, I would have probably laughed in your face, but here we are. Taking the Warriors’ formula of having characters do battle against huge legions of enemies, with Nintendo’s blessing, Omega Force and Team Ninja took beloved Zelda characters, decked them out in wonderful new outfits, gave them weapons and pit them in iconic locations against legions of well-known series enemies in an ultimate display of fanservice—both kinds. As the Warriors series also typically has a large cast of characters, player not only had series mainstay Link to fight, but also Zelda, Impa, Ruto, Midna, Agitha, Fi, and countless others including the fabulous Ghirahim, at their disposal. Fans of both series couldn’t have asked for more. Persona 4 Arena Ultimax Studio: Arc System Works Publisher: Atlus Platform(s): PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 Release Date: September 30 Metacritic: 84.5 The sequel to 2012's Persona 4 Arena which in turn was the sequel to 2008's Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4, the main difference between the two Arena games and their flagship title is that, as opposed to being RPGs like the mainline titles, they're fighting games also featuring characters from the Persona 3 series. Unlike other modern fighters, the game uses 2D sprites against 3D backgrounds to help maintain the series' anime style. Playable characters use a variety of special moves and combos to attack their opponents, as well as summoning their Personas to do damage. While the game wasn't a revolutionary leap over its predecessor, it still offered fun enough gameplay to make the wait for next year's Persona 5 more bearable. Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS Studio: Sora Ltd. / Bandai Namco Publisher: Nintendo Platform(s): Nintendo 3DS Release Date: October 3 Metacritic: 85 The good Lord Sakurai blessed the video game industry by delivering not one, but TWO full-fledged Super Smash Bros. games for this generation. The first, released for 3DS, was the first entry in the series for a handheld, becoming a technical showcase for the system with its impressive graphics and fast-paced gameplay running buttery smooth on the series in both 2D and 3D in 60fps. In addition to these, the game boasted tons of content as is typical of Sakurai masterpieces, with a cast of over forty characters, tons of stages, numerous minigames, loads of songs to listen to, and a bunch of other stuff I’m probably forgetting about because this game is so loaded. The Smash Bros. hype train ridden from the game’s E3 2013 rereveal thanks to the Pic of the Days held each weekday on Miiverse showing off something new from both games each morning to release was an amazing time for all involved, and thoroughly paid off once all got their hands on the 3DS’s premiere title of 2014. However, the best was yet to come, as the game had a companion title in the form of an even bigger and beefier Wii U entry. Bayonetta 2 Studio: Platinum Games Publisher: Nintendo Platform(s): Wii U Releasse Date: October 24 Metacritic: 91 The original announcement of Bayonetta 2''s as a Nintendo Wii U-exclusive title in September 2012 was something to behold. As the first ''Bayonetta was released solely for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 and contained much lewd, adult-geared content, literally the last place anyone ever expected the sequel to land on was on a Nintendo system. As such, when it was first shown off to the world, fanboys went into a rampage, complaining to the heavens that Ninty had “stolen their game” and sent death threats to the director of the first game, Hideki Kamiya. Their salty tears were deliciously devoured and their complaints fell on deaf ears as the game’s development progressed and was, upon release, hailed as one of the greatest action games ever made. As it turns out, the game was originally in development under Sega, publisher of the first game, but was ultimately cancelled. Nintendo, who Platinum was partnering with for 2013’s The Wonderful 101, saw the immense promise this studio had and decided to fully finance the game for their system to help create a diverse portfolio for the hardware. With arguably the two best Japanese game developers in the business working together, Bayonetta 2 was even more colorful and soared higher than its predecessor (which received an enhanced port for the Wii U as well, with exclusive costumes for the title character to dress her up as Nintendo heroes and heroines, bundled with the game), dazzling players with its off-the-wall and incredibly satisfying gameplay. Pokémon Art Academy Studio: Headstrong Games Publisher: Nintendo Platform(s): Nintendo 3DS Release Date: October 24 Metacritic: 76 2014 was the year Nintendo liked doing odd crossovers, though this was with two of their own owned franchises. Art Academy games teach players how to, you guessed it, make art, so Pokémon Art Academy was suitably dedicated to teaching young players how to draw their favorite characters, perhaps unwittingly creating a whole new generation of fan-artists. Sunset Overdrive Studio: Insomniac Games Publisher: Microsoft Studios Platform(s): Xbox One Release Date: October 28 Metacritic: 81 Destroying the pattern of dark, grim, and brown Microsoft games, Sunset Overdrive came out blasting at its initial reveal, showing a bright, colorful, and irreverent third-person shooter from the Ratchet and Clank creators that dared to revel in its pure awesomeness and poke fun at its genre cousins. With wonderful semi-stylized art direction, a large, bright Sunset City to explore, and tons of outlandish weapons for players to wield, this title went down as one of the most notable Xbox One titles of the year. Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare Studio: Sledgehammer Games Publisher: Activision Platform(s): PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC Release Date: November 4 Metacritic: 80.6 ewww call of duty i only play REEL games like malleo and not this try-hard dudebro nonsense yuck Assassin's Creed Unity Studio: Ubisoft Montreal Publisher: Ubisoft Platform(s): PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC Release Date: November 11 Metacritic: 71.6 Ubisoft’s annual Assassin's Creed game came in the form of Unity, which, true to the series’ roots, was set in a specific period of history, this one being in Paris during the French Revolution. The game was developed to a stunner, with revamped gameplay, a multiplayer focus, and the ability to put hundreds of NPCs on screen at one time. However, when it was released, players were met with tons of bugs, with caused publisher Ubisoft to issue an apology, suspend season passes, and give out free DLC content. Controversy wasn’t just tied to its release; beforehand, many went into a rage over the fact that a member of the developer team claimed a female player option wasn’t available because doing so would be too hard to produce. Gamers were also annoyed when Ubisoft announced that both console versions of the game would run at 900p to ensure parity, believing it foolish to let both games suffer because one system was weaker than the other. Sonic Boom Studio: Big Red Button / Sanzaru Games Publisher: Sega Platform(s): Wii U, Nintendo 3DS Release Date: November 11 Metacritic: 39 Because the regular Sonic series wasn’t cool enough for American kids, Sega decided to loosen the leash on their American arm and let them do a separate Sonic series deliberately targeted towards our capitalistic, overweight children. The result was Sonic with a scarf, super long legs, and tons of athletic bandage, a roided up Knuckles, and a game with more bugs than Sonic 06. The Cartoon Network animated series is legit though. LittleBigPlanet 3 Studio: Sumo Digital Publisher: Sony Platform(s): PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3 Release Date: November 18 Metacritic: 80 The LittleBigPlanet series dives into its third mainline entry (fourth overall if you include the Vita’s installment) by giving Sumo Digital the keys to the series from prior series developer Media Molecule. The puzzle-platformer adds three new characters to franchise mascot Sackboy with Oddsock, Swoop, and Big Toggle, each with their own specific traits and abilities, in addition to new tools and powerups. With these, players can let their imaginations loose and create their own levels, which are shared online with other users who can then play on them. Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire Studio: Game Freak Publisher: Nintendo Platform(s): Nintendo 3DS Release Date: November 21 Metacritic: 83 HOENN CONFIRMED!!!! After many years of speculation following the release of HeartGold and SoulSilver for DS, Pokémon fans were finally able to return to the region of Hoenn, this time in 3D—this is, in 3D movement, not stereoscopic 3D, as Game Freak still hasn’t bothered to hire capable programmers to enable 3D in the overworld and outside of cutscenes and battles. But in the end, that didn’t matter, as Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire were still wonderful updates to the now nostalgic Generation III games with, most importantly, better post-game content than 2013’s X and Y had. Super Smash Bros. for Wii U Studio: Sora Ltd. / Bandai Namco Publisher: Nintendo Platform(s): Wii U Release Date: November 21 Metacritic: 92 I already described how f*cking great Smash Bros. for 3DS was. So take that, and now imagine much more colorful and beautiful graphics, even more minigames, more stages, more music to choose from, tons of more content (such as more trophies and the ability to play demos of series’ games represented in this game), and being able to enjoy all of this on a big-a*s television screen with up to eight player local multiplayer and actually working, non-lagging online multiplayer. HOLY F*CK is the only adequate way to respond to that. If Smash Bros. 3DS brought the series into the eight generation of video games in style, then the Wii U entry is even more bombastic and the ultimate celebration of Nintendo’s incredible legacy. *bows to Lord Sakurai* Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth Studio: Atlus Publisher: Atlus Platform(s): Nintendo 3DS Release Date: November 25 Metacritic: 85 Persona Q is the first entry in the Persona series on a Nintendo system, which is pretty cool even if it’s a spinoff. The game takes the cast of Persona 3 and Persona 4 and puts them together in one game with new, adorable designs for the beloved characters in addition to a gameplay system lifted straight out of Atlus’ Etrian Odyssey series (which also had a release in the form of Etrian Odyssey Untold: The Millenium Girl, a remake of the first game in the series I didn’t bother to give a proper section in this blog to) and the amazing music that fans have come to expect and to love. PQ stands tall as one of the best third-party games for the 3DS in 2014 and one of the system’s top RPGs of the year as well. Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX Studio: Square Enix Publisher: Square Enix Platform(s): PlayStation 3 Release Date: December 2 Metacritic: 83 Square Enix brought the acclaimed Kingdom Hearts series to modern consoles last year with HD 1.5 ReMIX, a remaster of Kingdom Hearts Final Mix and Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories (originally released for PS2), and a movie made out of redone cutscenes from the handheld DS title 358/2 Days all on one disc. This year, Square brought the rest of the series over with HD 2.5 ReMIX, an even better collection featuring the franchise’s most acclaimed titles. The remastered version of Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix would be worth buying for 40 bucks on its own. The Final Mix version of the game originally released only in Japan for PS2, it absolutely improved on the vanilla version of the title, adding tons of new content including a new Drive Form, and more bosses and cutscenes in addition to a new post-credits secret ending, and is included here for international audiences to play and enjoy for the first time. The second game included is the Final Mix version of Birth by Sleep, originally released on PSP, which is now playable for the first time on a console. Lastly, players were treated to a movie version of the cutscenes from the DS title Re:coded, though the story of that was actually the worst part of the game. The only title in the series left not in HD is 2012’s Dream Drop Distance, though the credits of this collection suggest that we should be getting the first info of its facelift next year, along with new info on the hotly anticipated Kingdom Hearts III, which will bring an end to everything the franchise has set up so far. Notable Downloadables Child of Light Studio: Ubisoft Montreal Publisher: Ubisoft Platform(s): PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Wii U, PC Release Date: April 29 Metacritic: 81.5 Ubisoft’s UbiArt Framework engine gained fame with the gorgeous looking Rayman Origins and Legends, and they put it better use with Child of Light, a game with side-scroller and RPG elements as well as an Active Time Battle system. It was praised for its lush visuals and combat system. Valiant Hearts Studio: Ubisoft Montpellier Publisher: Ubisoft Platform(s): PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC Release Date: June 24 Metacritic: 78.5 Ubisoft’s second downloadable UbiArt game was Valiant Hearts: The Great War. This tear-jerking puzzle game was set during World War I, which is not a good sign for those who play games without a box of tissues at their side. Shovel Knight Studio: Yacht Club Games Publisher: Yacht Club Games Platform(s): Wii U, Nintendo 3DS Release Date: June 26 Metacritic: 89 Yacht Club Games brought us Shovel Knight, a 2D sidescrolling platforming game with 8-bit graphics to pay homage to old NES adventure titles. As expected from the title, the eponymous character wields a sharpened shovel that is used to attack enemies, destroy barriers, dig up treasures and, in Ducktales style, bounce off obstacles or enemies’ heads as a pogo stick. The game was developed with finances acquired through Kickstarter, which allows users to directly give money to devs to help produce games. Stretch Goals reached included a four-player battle mode, a mission-based challenge mode, an additional mode that swaps all the characters' genders, and playable story campaigns for boss characters. Pushmo World Studio: Intelligent Systems Publisher: Nintendo Platform(s): Wii U Release Date: June 19 Metacritic: 80 Intelligent Systems’ Pushmo series of games for 3DS are hailed as some of the best available on the eShop, so it’s only natural that it’d be brought to Wii U. The title allows players to enjoy the expertly designed puzzles on the big screen or on the GamePad. Now if only Nintendo would do the same for the Dillon’s Rolling Western series. The Walking Dead: Season Two Studio: Telltale Games Publisher: Telltale Games Platform(s): PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC Release Date: October 14 Metacritic: 81 Following the heels of The Walking Dead: Season One and profiting off the immense popularity of the AMC series, Telltale Games treated us to this episodic series which also garnered positive reviews for its the story, atmosphere, and main character. The Wolf Among Us Studio: Telltale Games Publisher: Telltale Games Platform(s): PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC Release Date: November 4 Metacritic: 83 Telltale Games brought us another episodic graphic adventure game based on a comic book series in the form of The Wolf Among Us. With a gorgeous art style, and praise going towards its story, atmosphere, characters, and action scenes, it proved to be another homerun for the gaming company. Phoenix Wtight: Ace Attorney Trilogy Studio: Capcom Publisher: Capcom Platform(s): Nintendo 3DS Release Date: December 9 Metacritic: 81 The Ace Attorney trilogy for DS is one of the system’s most memorable series, so it inevitably received a port to iOS. While the port received new sprites and artwork, it was riddled with bugs and stiff animations. Capcom then ported that port to 3DS, but fortunately improved those issues, offering up arguably the best versions of the Phoenix Wright games for a very reasonable price, even if they refuse to give series’ entries a physical release in the West from now on. Conclusion What did you think about this year of video games? It was terrible! Video games were much better back in my day! It wasn't anything special. It was alright. It was pretty good. Holy crap, this was a fantastic year for games! What games are you looking forward to in 2015? Are there any games I left out in this list that you think I should've included? Sound off in the comments! Category:Blog posts Category:JS's year in review blogs